Creamy Keto Tuscan Chicken
Published August 31, 2020 • Updated March 7, 2026
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This creamy tuscan chicken is the one-pan keto dinner I come back to when I want bold Italian flavors without the fuss. Seared chicken in a parmesan cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach, ready in about 25 minutes.
Low carb tuscan chicken recipe
I make this keto tuscan chicken at least twice a month, and it’s the recipe I reach for when I want something that feels like a real Italian dinner without spending an hour in the kitchen. One pan, 25 minutes, and the whole thing comes together while the chicken rests.
The base is simple: seared chicken breasts in a creamy parmesan sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and fresh spinach. What makes it work is the layering. I season the chicken heavy with lemon-pepper before it hits the pan, so the crust has actual flavor (not just salt). Then the fond left in the skillet becomes the foundation of the sauce.
Here’s the technique I’ve landed on after making this more times than I can count: lower your heat before the cream goes in. Let it come to a gentle simmer, not a boil. And the parmesan goes in small handfuls, off the heat, stirred between each addition. That’s how you get a silky sauce instead of a grainy one. A reader named Luz asked about this exact issue, and I had the same problem the first few times until I figured out the heat was the culprit.
This is a great weeknight dinner on its own, but I like serving it over cauliflower or zucchini noodles to soak up that sauce. If you’re into Italian keto dinners, my low carb Tuscan pasta uses a similar flavor profile with a different base, and my keto chicken parmesan is another one my family asks for regularly. My sun-dried tomato pesto chicken follows the same one-pan approach with a pesto twist.
One thing I love about this recipe: it actually reheats well. Most cream-based sauces break down the next day, but the parmesan holds this one together. I’ve packed leftovers for lunch and the sauce stays smooth after a quick warm-up. Reader Brandy doubled the batch (left out the arrowroot since the cheese thickened it enough) and said she wouldn’t change a thing. That tracks with my experience too.
At 6.1g net carbs per serving, this low carb chicken dinner gives you that rich, indulgent Italian flavor without the pasta or the breadcrumbs. The sun-dried tomatoes add concentrated sweetness, the spinach wilts right into the sauce, and the parmesan ties everything together into something that tastes way more involved than it is.
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Ingredients
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts -
2 tablespoons lemon-pepper seasoning
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1 teaspoon salt
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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1/2 medium size onion, diced
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1/2 cup chicken broth or chicken stock
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1/2 cup heavy cream
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1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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2 tablespoons fresh basil (juilienned)
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2 cups baby spinach
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5 sun-dried tomatoes, cut into julienne strips
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1 teaspoon arrowroot powder (optional)
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Season chicken
Season the chicken breast with the lemon-pepper and salt on both sides.
- Chicken breast
- Lemon-pepper seasoning
- Salt
Pan fry chicken
In a large skillet, add the olive oil and cook the chicken over medium heat, turning once (about 10-12 minutes per side). Cover the skillet if your chicken is thick. Cook until the internal temperature hits 165 degrees. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Make the cream sauce
Add onions to the skillet and sauté until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the chicken broth, cream, Parmesan cheese and basil. Continue to stir until cheese has melted. Stir in arrowroot powder if using to thicken up the mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer.
- Onions
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Basil
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breast in this recipe?
I actually prefer thighs in this dish when I have them on hand. They add more fat, which makes the cream sauce even richer. I season and cook them the same way, just keep an eye on the internal temp since thighs can vary in thickness. My cook time usually runs a couple minutes longer.
How many carbs are in keto tuscan chicken?
My recipe comes in at 6.1g net carbs per serving (7.3g total carbs). Most of that comes from the sun-dried tomatoes and onion. I've trimmed it down by keeping the tomato count to five strips, which gives you the flavor without the carb creep.
Is this tuscan chicken gluten-free?
Yes. Traditional tuscan chicken recipes use flour to thicken the sauce, but I skip that entirely. The parmesan and a slow simmer do the thickening work for me. I've never felt like it needed the starch.
Can I freeze tuscan chicken?
I've tried freezing it a few times, and cream-based sauces are tricky. What I do now is store the chicken and sauce separately in freezer-safe containers, and use them within a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently on the stovetop. The texture isn't identical to fresh, but it's close enough for a weeknight.
How do I prevent the cream sauce from curdling?
This is the number one thing I had to figure out with this recipe. Lower your heat before the cream goes in, and let it come to a gentle simmer (not a boil). The parmesan is the other culprit. I add it in small handfuls off the heat, stirring between each addition. If your pan is too hot when the cheese hits, it clumps instead of melting. That one adjustment fixed it completely for me.
Can I make this dairy-free?
I've tested it with full-fat coconut milk instead of heavy cream, and it works but the flavor profile shifts. You lose the richness, so I compensate with a tablespoon of nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan. It's not the same dish, but it's solid in its own right. I'd add a pinch of extra garlic too.
What is 'Marry Me Chicken' and is it the same as Tuscan chicken?
They're cousins. Marry me chicken is basically any creamy garlic-parmesan chicken that's good enough to make someone propose on the spot, and my Tuscan version fits that description with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. I've seen both names used interchangeably online, but the Tuscan angle adds those Italian pantry staples that make the sauce more complex. I make mine as a one-pan dinner, which is where the two recipes really overlap.
Can I make this in the slow cooker or Crock Pot?
I've done it both ways. Sear the chicken in a skillet first (you need that crust), then transfer everything to the slow cooker on low for 3-4 hours. The key is holding back the cream and parmesan until the last 30 minutes. If they go in at the start, the sauce breaks down and gets grainy. I prefer the skillet version because the sauce reduces better, but the slow cooker works when I want dinner ready without hovering over the stove.
My son scraped the plate for the cream sauce, and this is the kid who once cried over broccoli touching his rice. The spinach just disappears into the parmesan somehow.
Ha, scraped-plate from a kid like that is high praise. Baby spinach just collapses in that sauce - it's gone in about 30 seconds. That's the whole reason I use baby over regular here.
Made this on a cold Tuesday, my wife who picks spinach out of literally everything just sat there scraping the pan with cauliflower rice, didn't say a word. Something about the parmesan cream with the sun-dried tomatoes, it gets really thick and almost sweet as it simmers down, I think that's what won her over. She texted me the next day asking if I was making it again this week. Doubling the sauce next time.
Sun-dried tomatoes do that when the liquid cooks off - they sweeten and concentrate. I landed on five strips for that reason, any more and it tips too sweet. But yeah, double the sauce. Always.
Made this last week and the cream sauce went grainy near the end. I think my heat was too high when I added the cream. Turn it down first, or is there a trick to stop it splitting?
Yep, lower the heat before the cream goes in - let it come to a simmer slowly. Parmesan will do the same thing if you dump it all at once and the pan's too hot. I add that in small handfuls off the heat.
Made this last night and the lemon-pepper on the chicken was solid. Kept some for lunch today and it reheated fine.
The lemon-pepper does most of the work here. I go heavier on it than the recipe says sometimes. Reheats better than most cream sauces.
This was delicious! I did make a mistake and grabbed a jar of 'roasted red peppers' instead of sun dried tomatoes at the grocery. Not sure how that happened bc i wrote sun dried tomates on my list. Didn't even realize til I opened the jar! Thought I ruined it. But everyone loved it!!
Roasted red peppers are milder and sweeter than sun-dried so it's a different dish, but that cream sauce holds up. Might have to try it on purpose now.
Cooked this tonight for my son and served over some soy based spaghetti from Aldi. Was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend. Thank you for sharing the recipe
Soy pasta from Aldi works well here. The cream sauce is thick enough it stays put. Glad your son liked it.
Wow this recipe is amazing, my son tasted and started to eat it and said can you make it for dinner too, I didn’t have fresh onions and put onion flakes and still come out amazing
Onion flakes are fine here, the sauce hydrates them. And a kid asking for it again for dinner, you can't beat that.
My husband, the fussy former restauranteur, loved this recipe! It was a great intro to Keto and keeping him motivated. We will do this again.
Fussy former restaurateur loved it. Ha. That's the crowd that doesn't forgive a bad cream sauce. Glad it delivered.
So I'm not a fan of the OG Tuscan Chicken...this is so much better!!! I doubled everything but left out the arrowroot bc it didn't really need any thickening once I added the cheese. So easy and I put this over some cauliflower rice and made a side of lemon broccoli, def a keeper!
I'm the type that usually changes something about a recipe but this is perfect the way it is!
Yep, the parmesan handles it. I only add the arrowroot if the sauce still looks thin after the cheese melts in, which doesn't happen often. Lemon broccoli on the side is exactly right with this one.
What would change if I wanted to double this?
I would keep the arrowroot powder amount the same (1 teaspoon) but you should be able to just double all the other ingredients.
This was so good! My entire family, including our picky 15 year old, loved it.
Ha, the picky teenager seal of approval is the one that actually matters. Mine always scrapes the cream sauce off the pan.
Oh my, this is so good. Even my non-keto family and kids loved it.
Ha, non-keto approval is the real test. Those sun-dried tomatoes pull everyone in, keto or not.
I am new to keto and new to cooking with a recipe, I love this so much! It’s super easy to make. I made it 2 days in a row! Love it!!!
Two days in a row as a brand new cook, that's saying something. The arrowroot is optional but try it next batch, it pulls the cream sauce together.
Just made this the other night and nit even two bites in, both my husband and teenage son told me to never lose this recipe and have already asked me to make it again next week.
Thank you so much for not only a fantastic recipe, but one that comes together very quickly. I cooked the chicken in my InstantPot while starting on remaining ingredients.
Using the Instant Pot while the sauce comes together. My husband has the same standing request every time I make this.
I have a question, if the recipe calls for 2 chicken breast and the recipe nutrients says 4 servings for the 6 net carbs, does that mean a serving for that carb amount is a half a breast? Low Carb Tuscan Chicken Recipe
Yes, you can add more chicken if you want more protein.